Denver Nuggets Blog – Page 39 – NBA Blog

Denver Nuggets add three players in 2012 NBA Draft

The Denver Nuggets selected Evan Fournier with the 20th overall pick, Quincy Miller with the 38th pick and Izzet Turkyilmaz with the 50th pick in the 2012 NBA Draft.

Fournier, a 6-6, 190-pound guard from France, averaged 14.1 points, 3.2 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.5 steals while playing for Union Poitiers Basket 86 last season.

The 19-year-old became the youngest player in French League history to score at least 20 points when he totaled 21 against SLUC Nancy on Feb. 5, 2011. He also was a member of France’s Under-20 national team and averaged 16.9 points at the 2011 U20 European Championship.

Miller, 19, averaged 10.6 points, 4.9 rebounds and 1.4 assists in his lone season at Baylor. The 6-9, 220-pound forward was named the 2012 Big 12 Co-Freshman of the Year while helping lead the Bears to the Elite Eight in the NCAA Tournament.

With their final pick of the night, the Nuggets selected the 22-year-old Turkyilmaz out of Turkey. The 7-1, 220-pound foward most recently played for Bandirma Banvit and appeared in 26 games during the Turkish league as well as eight games for Bandirma in the Eurocup in 2011-12.

Nene provided big boost for Wizards

The 6′-11″ center showed why he got a huge contract from Denver prior to last season, scoring 22 points and grabbing 10 rebounds in his debut as the Wizards beat New Jersey in mid-March.

After missing 10 games in early April, Nene returned from injury to help the Wizards go on that six-game winning streak to close out the season.

Nene and Wizards’ point guard John Wall had some solid moments executing the two-man game, including a brilliant pick-and-roll that resulted in Nene getting a great pass from Wall for the game-winning layup at the buzzer over Miami late in the season.

Wall credited the team’s late success to the arrival of Nene. Wall pointed to Nene’s locker room presence and leadership as a key factor for the team playing inspired basketball the final month of the season when the Wizards reeled off a season high 6-straight wins to close out the season.

— Reported by Frank Hanrahan of CSN Washington

Ty Lawson hopes for Nuggets extension

Asked about possibly getting a contract extension from the Nuggets this summer, Lawson told The Denver Post: “It’s definitely a goal. I want to be here long term. I’m pretty sure my agent and Masai (Ujiri, the Nuggets’ executive vice president of basketball operations) will talk this summer.”

Next season will be the fourth in the NBA for the 24-year-old guard from North Carolina, who averaged 19 points and six assists and shot 51.4 percent in the seven-game series against the Lakers.

Asked Sunday about Lawson, Ujiri said: “He’s going to be a big part of the Denver Nuggets. We’re excited. Ty is going to grow even more. He made a little jump, and he’ll continue to make jumps as he gets older.”

The Nuggets can negotiate with Lawson and his representatives in July. It’s possible that he could get up to a five-year contract. Lawson has one more season on his current deal.

— Reported by Benjamin Hochman of the Denver Post

Nuggets guard Andre Miller will keep free agency options open

Now that the season has ended, Miller is one of three free agents the Nuggets have to make decisions on this summer, the first normal NBA calendar since 2010. It’s likely the Nuggets will attempt to bring him back after his at-times spectacular playoff series against the Lakers. Miller is the only unrestricted free agent on the roster, so the decision to stay or leave is solely his.

“I’ll keep my options open,” Miller said. “At this point in my career, if I’m going to be a backup, I’m going to be a backup on a championship-caliber team. Obviously, this team is a good team that’s going to get to the playoffs, but the thing is if they are committed to getting to that next level to compete for that championship.”

Miller teamed with point guard Ty Lawson to give the Nuggets a double-headed attack in this series, which most often was their most effective lineup. That pairing was on the floor when the Nuggets rallied from a 16-point deficit in the third quarter Saturday night to take the lead early in the fourth period.

Miller struggled throughout the game with his shooting, finishing with three points, but he had eight assists and 11 rebounds.

— Reported by Christopher Dempsey of the Denver Post

Lakers beat Nuggets 96-87 in thrilling Game 7

Pau Gasol was consumed by determination, holding off Kenneth Faried with one arm and relentlessly tipping the ball at the hoop with the other in the fourth quarter of Game 7. One, two, three, four – five! – offensive rebounds later, the ball finally surrendered and dropped through the hoop.

A few minutes later, the truth was as undeniable as that 7-foot Spaniard. Although the Nuggets drove them to the brink of playoff collapse, the Los Angeles Lakers still have the tenacity to win on the biggest nights of the postseason.

Even when Kobe Bryant doesn’t lead them.

Gasol had 23 points, 17 rebounds, six assists and four blocked shots, Metta World Peace scored 15 points in his return from a seven-game suspension, and the Lakers outlasted Denver for a thrilling 96-87 victory Saturday night to win their first-round series.

Steve Blake scored a playoff career-high 19 points and Bryant had a quiet 17 points and eight assists against regular double-teams for the Lakers, who blew a 16-point lead in the second half before surviving a finale with wild momentum swings and furious physical play.

With Gasol leading the Lakers’ emotional effort – exemplified by those five offensive rebounds on a single, unbelievable tip play with 7:10 left – the Lakers narrowly avoided becoming the ninth team in NBA history to blow a 3-1 series lead…

Andrew Bynum had 16 points, a career playoff-high 18 rebounds and six blocked shots for Los Angeles, which must open the second round Monday night in Oklahoma City against the second-seeded Thunder.

Ty Lawson and Al Harrington scored 24 points apiece for the sixth-seeded Nuggets, who committed 19 turnovers and managed just 7-of-27 shooting in the fourth quarter. Arron Afflalo scored 15 points in just the third Game 7 in franchise history for the Nuggets, who have lost in the first round in eight of the last nine postseasons – but never with this much excitement…

World Peace hit four 3-pointers and energized Los Angeles with tough defense in his return. The former Ron Artest missed Los Angeles’ regular-season finale and the first six games against Denver for viciously elbowing Oklahoma City’s James Harden, the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year and one of his probable defensive assignments in the next round.

— Reported by Greg Beacham of the Associated Press

Lawyer for Chris Andersen says allegations involve a rejected female fan

An attorney for Chris ”Birdman” Andersen says he believes the allegations that led to a search of the Denver Nuggets player’s home this week involve a spurned female fan.

Denver attorney M. Colin Bresee confirmed to The Associated Press on Friday a statement he gave to the Denver Post, saying the woman asked Andersen for ”financial remuneration” after traveling to Colorado last year.

Bresee’s statement says he expects that a Douglas County sheriff’s task force that investigates allegations of cybercrime against children will find no criminal wrongdoing by Andersen. Bresee also said he expects the investigation will take about three weeks.

Authorities confirm that the cybercrime unit began investigating Andersen in February after a law enforcement tip from California. Sheriff’s officials, citing the ongoing investigation, declined to comment about Bresee’s statement.

”A female fan in 2010 mailed Mr. Andersen multiple letters and included several photos in which she was scantily clad,” Bresee’s statement reads. ”Chris and this woman communicated with each other and in 2011, this woman, who represented herself as 21 years of age, flew to Colorado, showing her required identification.”

The statement continued: “After leaving Colorado, she became upset at his lack of interest. In 2012, she threatened to retaliate if he did not provide financial remuneration.”

— Reported by P. Solomon Banda of the Associated Press

Nuggets rout Lakers 113-96 to force Game 7

The upstart Denver Nuggets are one win from running the lumbering Los Angeles Lakers and their star-studded cast right out of the playoffs.

Ty Lawson scored 32 points, fellow spark plug Corey Brewer added 18 and the free-wheeling, too-young-to-scare Nuggets forced a Game 7 in their first-round playoff series with a dominating 113-96 win Thursday night…

The decisive game is Saturday night at the Staples Center, Denver’s first all-or-nothing showdown since losing to Utah in Game 7 of the 1994 Western Conference semifinals. But it would be a mistake to think the young team will cave under the pressure of a win-or-go-home scenario…

Kobe Bryant followed his 43-point outburst in Game 5 with 31 points in 3 1/2 quarters despite a sour stomach that he said left his hotel room ”looking like a scene from ‘The Exorcist,”’ and also prevented him from attending the Lakers’ morning shootaround and forced him to take intravenous fluids all day.

Bryant’s teammates felt even worse – for letting him down, especially fellow stars Andrew Bynum, who made just 4 of 11 shots for 11 points, and Pau Gasol, who was 1 for 10 for three points with three rebounds…

Bryant said he was eager for Metta World Peace’s return to the lineup Saturday night…

The Nuggets got another great game from rookie Kenneth Faried, who provided even more energy as well as 15 points and 11 rebounds. Danilo Gallinari and Andre Miller both had 12 points for Denver, which led 90-68 heading into the fourth quarter.

— Reported by Arnie Stapleton of the Associated Press

Chris Andersen investigated for Internet-related crime

Denver Nuggets center Christopher “Birdman” Andersen has been “excused indefinitely” from team activies while Douglas County sheriff’s detectives investigate him for unknown Internet crimes against children, the team announced this afternoon.

Authorities searched Andersen’s Larkspur home this morning and seized property. Andersen, 33, has not been arrested or charged with a crime.

“The Denver Nuggets are aware of today’s media reports involving forward/center Chris Andersen. It involves a legal investigation and we are awaiting further details,” team officials wrote in an unsigned statement. “Per team policy, the Nuggets will not coment on any ongoing legal circumstance involving any player or employee.”

The Nuggets have a crucial game tonight at Pepsi Center against the Lakers in the first-round of the playoffs.

— Reported by Jessica Fender of the Denver Post

Nuggets avoid elimination, hold off Lakers in Game 5

JaVale McGee went out with the attitude that Game 5 was the last game of his life. The other Denver Nuggets played their own mental games, some drawing inspiration from Lakers center Andrew Bynum’s comment about how closeout playoff games can sometimes be easy.

The Nuggets went deep into their motivational wells for an impressive win at Staples Center, and not even Kobe Bryant could prevent the Lakers from getting on a plane back to Denver.

Andre Miller scored 24 points, including two free throws with 12.8 seconds left, and Denver survived Bryant’s late scoring barrage in a 43-point performance, avoiding playoff elimination with a 102-99 victory over Los Angeles on Tuesday night and trimming the Lakers’ series lead to 3-2.

McGee had 21 points and 14 rebounds for the sixth-seeded Nuggets, who barely survived a frenetic finish. Denver had a 15-point lead midway through the fourth quarter against the lifeless Lakers, but Bryant engineered a swift comeback before his final three shots missed…

Bryant scored 12 points over the final 4:45, hitting four 3-pointers that trimmed the Nuggets’ lead to 98-96 with 59 seconds left. Bryant then missed a potential tying 5-footer and a 3-pointer, but Denver missed two of four free throws before Ramon Sessions hit a 3-pointer with 12.8 seconds left, trimming the Nuggets’ lead to one point…

Arron Afflalo scored a career playoff-high 19 points and Danilo Gallinari added 14 for the Nuggets, while rookie Kenneth Faried had 10 points and nine rebounds. Miller scored 10 points in the fourth quarter and 17 in the second half, calmly leading his young teammates to the win…

Bynum had 16 points and 11 rebounds for the Lakers, who lost a closeout playoff game at home for the first time since May 4, 2006, against Phoenix.

— Reported by the Associated Press

Supporting cast gives Lakers 3-1 edge over Nuggets

Kobe Bryant and Andrew Bynum put up their usual big numbers. Their supporting cast came up even bigger, sealing the Los Angeles Lakers’ 92-88 victory over Denver on Sunday night that put the Nuggets on the brink of elimination.

Bryant had 22 points and Bynum added 19 to help the Lakers overcome a six-point halftime deficit and take a 3-1 lead in the first-round playoff series that they can wrap up Tuesday night when the series shifts back to Staples Center for Game 5.

Sixth-man Jordan Hill had 12 points and 11 rebounds, and recently acquired guard Ramon Sessions and reserve point guard Steve Blake each hit crucial 3-pointers in the final minute as the Lakers broke free.

Those were the players the Nuggets preferred had the ball in crunch time, and Bryant wasn’t at all hesitant to oblige…

Sessions, whose acquisition from Cleveland this spring led to the trade of five-time NBA champion Derek Fisher, finished with 12 points, and Blake had 10…

After torching the Lakers for 50 points combined in the previous two games, Ty Lawson was held to 11 points and Nuggets big men Kenneth Faried and JaVale McGee weren’t nearly as effective on offense or disruptive defensively as they were in Game 2, when they combined for 28 points and 30 rebounds. Together, they had 14 points and 11 rebounds Sunday…

The game was briefly delayed with 1:10 left in the first half when a female fan started walking across the court while the Nuggets were setting up a play.

— Reported by the Associated Press